Note that simply being 18+ does not imply something is a nukige. There are tons of 18+ games that are still heavily story-driven and the adult content is often a very small part of the game. A nukige is something where the adult content is pretty much all there is...

And there's a reason why a significant portion of JAST USA and Mangagamer's catalogs are nukige: They sell better here. And they tend to be easier to localize...so from a business perspective it makes sense. But it's also reinforcing the stereotype that VN = porn and limiting the potential audience.

So, basically, a nukige is the complete opposite of something like Crescendo. Crescendo was highly story/character driven, the majority of endings didn't involve sex (and many of those were really good), and was just beautifully written. A nukige is basically just "wham bam thank you ma'am, get the sex scene as fast as you can."

Okay, got it. (aside: Crescendo is one of my all time favorite visual novels.)

So, basically, a nukige is the complete opposite of something like Crescendo. Crescendo was highly story/character driven, the majority of endings didn't involve sex (and many of those were really good), and was just beautifully written. A nukige is basically just "wham bam thank you ma'am, get the sex scene as fast as you can."

Okay, got it. (aside: Crescendo is one of my all time favorite visual novels.)